How I lost 200 lbs and gained my life!

13.1 miles….are they crazy? Am I?!?!

So waking up at 5am to run 13.1 miles in 40 degree temperature seems crazy to the majority of the population. But for some people this is a thrilling journal and something that they train months, sometimes years for. I have always thought they are crazy, but I think I’m starting to get it….or just becoming just a crazy.

Last February, a month after becoming vegan and starting an exercise plan, I watched two of the Asse boys run a half marathon. Some people did not look like they were enjoying the experience, and some actually looked like they are in pain. I saw some people stop during the race to stretch their muscles and even puke on the side of the road. Last February I left that race thinking “those people are crazy! Glad I won’t ever have to do that”.

160 lbs. later and I started to run. I had not run since middle school and had to be taught how to run. I ran for about 10 seconds and then had to stop to catch my breath. Again I thought it was crazy to be running. But after a few weeks, I got better at running. I still struggled with it though and could not figure out why I could work out as hard as I was and maintain a perfect plant based diet but yet I couldn’t run more than two minutes at a time. I admired women named Joni Florence and went to lunch with her. She too had lost quite a bit of weight and was active and could do what I had yet to accomplish……run! I picked her brain during a vegan lunch at East End Eatery (one of my favs), and Joni said “well I just told myself to stop having a hissy fit and just run”. That clicked with me…..I was so used to feeling my lungs lose their breath, my legs start to hurt and the impact on my body when I was trying to run that I would have a hissy fit and then just stop. But after speaking to Joni I was convinced that I wasn’t going to die from run and just needed to quit having the hissy fit. The next day I ran a mile on a treadmill……my first mile EVER.

During that mile I felt a calm space out moment and time flew by as well as the mile. I finally got it….I completely zoned out and enjoyed that time of running. I finally understood why someone would want to run a marathon! Now I can rethink the time of watching those crazy Asse boys run that half marathon and understand how they felt…..well kinda…at least for the first mile. HAHA! I still struggle with running, but I want it more than anything.

Thank you to all those folks that I have seen running, Especially Carly Asse, Miquel Asse, Chelsea Wright, Pamela Perry and Nell Page. You all have inspired me to want that run!